In recent years, the increased efficiency of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has become more evident with the increase in unhealthy lifestyles and social pressures on women.

Studies have shown its prevalence to be as high as 6-15% in women of childbearing age.

Polycystic ovaries ≠ polycystic ovary syndrome: the most common metabolic disorder in women of childbearing age disease

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a clinical syndrome characterised by reproductive disorders, endocrine abnormalities and metabolic disorders that are common in women of childbearing age. It is also associated with symptoms such as hirsutism, acne, hair loss, fatness and abnormal periods.

However, many women are alarmed when they are tested for polycystic ovaries and mistakenly believe that polycystic ovaries = polycystic ovary syndrome.

In fact, polycystic ovaries refers to ultrasound findings of ≥12 small follicles on both or one ovary, a description of ovarian morphology on ultrasound, and moreover a condition for the diagnosis of PCOS.

It is important to note that polycystic ovary syndrome affects much more than just reproductive function.

The disease continues throughout a woman's life, often starting in adolescence or even in the foetal years, and as she ages, menstrual and fertility problems evolve into metabolic complications, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which can certainly be a serious test.

NMN: comprehensive improvement of metabolic disorders in PCOS

In general, most women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rely on medications for treatment.

However, there are few drugs available to treat PCOS and the common approach is to improve PCOS by targeting androgen excess with anti-androgen drugs, but recent studies have shown that anti-androgen drugs are highly hepatotoxic and their use is therefore restricted.

Since most women with PCOS have adverse metabolic features including obesity, dyslipidaemia, hepatic steatosis, etc.

NMN can be beneficial in restoring insulin sensitivity, improving blood lipids and reversing NAFLD.

In particular, a clinical study in post-menopausal, obese, pre-diabetic women showed that NMN restored insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle.

The endocrine and metabolic profile of these women, similar to that present in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, also raises expectations about the ameliorative effects of NMN on PCOS.

Surprisingly, as early as 2021, a study found that NAD+ levels in granulosa cells were significantly lower in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, and that supplementation with NAD+ precursor supplements such as NMN alleviated the condition in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and may restore hope to infertile families suffering from PCOS.

The research was published in Biology of Reproduction, the leading scientific journal in the field of reproductive medicine.

Since then, a series of experimental studies at the University of New South Wales in Australia have reaffirmed the link between polycystic ovary syndrome and NAD+ deficiency, and have been published in the scientific journal Molecular Metabolism.


In this study, the team first established a PCOS mouse model by subcutaneously implanting dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in female mice around puberty, and then after 8 weeks of treatment with NMN, following tests such as fasting insulin and HOMA insulin resistance tests, glucose tolerance tests, and adipose tissue morphometry, the statistical results showed the following:

I. NMN restores NAD+ levels in the muscles of PCOS mice.

The assay revealed a significant decrease in NAD+ levels in the muscles of PCOS mice, which were restored by NMN feeding.

2. NMN improves insulin resistance and obesity in PCOS mice.

DHT-induced insulin levels more than doubled in fasting PCOS mice, which may reflect insulin resistance. Comparison by feeding NMN revealed that fasting insulin levels returned to levels close to those of normal mice.

In addition PCOS mice had a 20% increase in body weight and a significant increase in fat mass, in the groin, parametrium and mesentery. The use of NMN reduced the increase in adiposity without any change in diet.

3. NMN restores abnormal lipid deposition in PCOS mice.

One of the features of polycystic ovary syndrome is the development of fatty liver due to liver lipid deposition.

The abnormal liver lipid deposition in PCOS mice was almost eliminated by the administration of NMN and liver triglycerides were restored to normal levels in mice.

Nowadays, as medical advances continue, more clinical studies related to NMN and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) will be conducted in the future.

Among other things, it is certain that NMN can play a positive role in improving metabolic disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which also brings new hope for the treatment of people with infertility due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other causes.